Method of and means for controlling gas and oil burners



Dec. 26, 1939. J, R; C EEL 2,184,947

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING GAS AND OIL BURNERS Filed March 7,1958 Patented Dec. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES METHOD OF AND MEANS FORCONTROL- LDIG GAS AND OIL BURNERS John R. Schcel, Chicago, Ill.

Application March "7, 1938, Serial No. 194,300

3 Claims.

My invention relates to a method of and means for controlling gas andoil burners, boilers, or furnace combustion, and particularly to acontrol for the secondary air admitted to the burners, and the resultingamount of air and products of combustion venting through the chimney.

In the operation of boilers, furnaces and burners, considerabledifliculty has been encountered in in maintaining a miximum heatefliciency in varying locations. One of the main causes of thisdifliculty is the fact that no satisfactory means, as yet, has beenfound for controlling the secondary air flowing to the burners.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a means forcontrolling the inflow of secondary air into a gas or oil burner, boileror furnace, to obtain maximum heat efliciency by obtaining more perfectcombustion of fuel.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for controlling anddiverting back drafts to prevent the pilot light within the boiler orburner from being extinguished.

It is a further object of the invention to control the flow of air fromthe boiler room or basement to the chimney or flue, through the backdraft relief opening.

With these and other equally important objects in view, which willbecome apparent upon a perusal of the invention, the latter comprisesthe means described in the following specification, particularly pointedout in the claims forming a part thereof, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a gas boiler equipped with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, in designates a burner or boiler ofconventional design, equipped with burners l2 and pilot lights l3 forsaid burners.

The boiler or furnace is provided with a flue gas outlet 14, surroundedby an adjustable sleeve [5, which is provided with a pin It, extendingthrough a slot IT in the tubular extension 20 of a casing 2|, so thatupon manipulation of the 5 pin, the sleeve is caused to move verticallyand may be secured in adjusted position.

A stationary bafiie plate 18 extends in a horizontal position and issituated directly over the opening in the sleeve, so that the flow ofthe 55 flue gases, or products of combustion, flowing through the outleti l and the sleeve l5 must meet thebafile. By raising or lowering thesleeve, the volume of the flow of the flue gases out of the boiler, andthe resultant volume of secondary air flowing into the boiler or burnerat the spaces 5 i8 defined by the clearance between the boiler and thefloor, may be controlled. The tubular extension 20, integral with thecasing 2| of my device, surrounds the sleeve and insures smoothmanipulation thereof. The casing, which has an opening 22 to the boilerroom or basement, also leads to the chimney or flue 23.

In addition, there is provided an adjustable damper plate 24, hinged at21a near the free end of the baifle, and equipped with a flange 25, hav-15 ing an arcuate slot 26, through which extends a screw 21, passingthrough a hole in the casing, so that the damper plate may be adjustedand locked in position so as to allow a relief opening in case of a backdraftin the chimney or flue, but still making it possible to reduce to aminimum the amount of air taken from the boiler room by the up draft.

It is evident that, with an opening between the casing 2| and the damper24, any back draft will be diverted into the boiler room and the hazardof extinguishing the pilot light will be eliminated. In case of backdraft, there will be no back pressure in the boiler or furnace, as itwillhave free venting through the relief opening 22.

In the operation of a gas or oil burner, it is desirable that the properamount of secondary air be expelled to support combustion without toomuch excess air. Where a down draft diverter is used, it is alsodesirable to be able to control the amount of air taken from the boilerroom through the relief opening of the down draft diverter, and throughthe chimney. If the pull of the products of combustion is eitherexcessive or insufficient, the amount of secondary air entrained iseither excessive or insufficient, resulting in poor conduction and lowefficiency. If the pull of air through the diverter and chimney from theboiler room is excessive, the result will be a cold boiler room whichwill result in a lower efliciency.

The provision of the adjustablesleeve, stationary baffle plate and theadjustable damper plate provides a simple but very effective means forthe control and regulation of the proper amounts of air to be takenthrough the boiler and from the boiler room and, at the same time, actsas a draft diverter.

While the drawing shows a preferred embodiment of the invention, by wayof examples in carrying out my invention, numerous changes andalterations may be made without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

I, therefore, do not limit myself to the details of construction andarrangement, as shown, but wish to include all modifications, revisionsand changes, constituting departures within the scope of the invention,as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a gas or oil boiler and its outlet to the flue, acasing interposed between said outlet and said flue, an adjustablesleeve surrounding said outlet, a partition in said casing and over saidsleeve, and a battle in said casing and adjacent to said partition, saidbaflle constituting means whereby admission of secondary air to theboiler is controlled.

2. In combination with a gas or oil burner and its outlet to the flue, adevice for controlling admission of secondary air to the products ofcombustion comprising a casing interposed between said outlet and saidflue, an opening in said casing to admit air, an adjustable sleevesurrounding said outlet, a bafiie plate in said casing between saidoutlet and said flue, means for controlling the flow of exhaust gasesand secondary air by adjusting said sleeve in cooperation with saidbafile plate, and an adjustable damper plate interposed between saidbafile plate and said flue.

3. In combination with a gas or oil boiler and its outlet to the flue, acasing interposed between said outlet and said flue, an adjustablesleeve surrounding said outlet, a partition in said casing and over saidsleeve, and a baflie plate in said casing adjustable about an axisadjacent to the free end of said partition, said baffle plateconstituting means whereby admission of secondary air to the boiler iscontrolled.

JOHN R. SCHEEL.

